Heater



Dec. 29, 1925- O. WIEDERHOLD Filed Jan. 16, 1923 HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ogsc/JR W/EDE/Pf/ow Dec. 29 1925. 1,567,691

o. WIEDERHOLD HEATER Filed Jan. 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l N VEN TOR O5 CHR l/V/EoERf/om Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED. STATES OSCAR WIEDERHOLD, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEATER.

Applicatibn led January 16, 1923. Serial No. 612,877.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, OSCAR WIEDERHOLD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaters, of which the followingis a specification.

My present invention relates to heaters and particularly those iny which a gaseous or vapor fuel is employed in conjunction with a body of refractory material brought to incandescence and radiating heat. The object of this invention is to provide a simple, strong, and efficient construction of the above-indicated character.

The invention consists of certain novel features which will appear from the accompanying drawings, from the -description following hereinafter, and from the appended claims.

In the said drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an example of a gas heater embodying my invention, with parts in section and parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section through one of the heater units, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 6; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a face view of the burner member of one of the refractory heater bodies, with parts broken away; Fig. 6 is a face view of the burner member of one of the heater units; .and Fig. 7 is a detail bottom view of a corner portion of the burner member shown in Fig. 6.

The heater illustrated comprises a'front frame 10 bordering a heat-radiating opening. here shown of rectangular shape, front legs 1.1 and a rear leg 12 for supporting the heater on the floor of a room, a rear wall having a vertical lower portion 13 and an upper portion 13 inclined forwardly and upwardly. said rear wall having air-admission openings 14, a horizontal bottom wall 15. vert ical side walls 16 which ai'e parallel. and a front cross member 17 flush with the front frame 10, said crossv member having air-admission openings 18 and a top ledge 19 extending rearwardly. A fender or guard 20 of any suitable construction may be secured to the heater, forV instance to the side walls 16.v The inner surfaces of the walls 13, 13 and 16 are preferably highly polished, so as to reflect the heat efficiently;

steel having a polished coating or plating of nickel is suitable for this purpose. It may.` be suicient to make the upper portion 13 of the rear wall of strongly reflecting character.

As a means for supplying gas to the heater, I have shown a horizontal gas pipe 21 with a cock 22 and two lateral burner connections or fittings 23, the particular heater illustrated having two heater units; of course, the heater might have only one such unit in some cases; and in other cases more than two units. Each of the burner connections or fittings 23 has an upwardly directed gas outlet 24 and a screw-thread to receive the customary perforated cap 25, also another screwthread to receive the collar 26 at the lower end of a Bunsen tube having spaced arms 27 to afford air-inlets, said arms converging upwardly and being connected at their upper ends, with the Bunsen outlet tube 28 through which a mixture of gas and air passes to th burner proper, described below. The fitting 23 of the heater unit shown at the left 1n Fig. 1 (see also Fig. 3) receives one end of the pipe 21 at the right, while at the left ofsaid fitting a rod 29 closes the opening at'this side of the fitting, said rod also serving to su ort the Bunsen burners andthe heater bodies, as set forth below.

The rod 29 and the pipe 21 are shown as extending through, and supported by, the two parallel side walls 16; I do not, however, restrict m self to this detail. The outlets 24 as wel as the tubes 28 conveying the mixture of gas and air, are inclined in the same direct-ion as the rear wall portion 13', that is to say, forwardly and upwardly.

On each of the Bunsen outlet tubes 28 is fitted, preferably loosely and removably, a. sleeve 30 provided with a flaring bottom' 31 and with a screw-threaded top 32, on which fits a threaded boss33 on the burner unit or bui'ner element. l

Each burner unit comprises a bottom 34 which, when in position as shown, is inclined rearwardly and upwardly, said bottom beingv rectangular. with its longer sides horizontal and parallel to the pipe" 21, that is to say, the. longer sides of the rectangle are transverse to the heater. At the edges of said bottom 34, side walls 35 extend upwardly to a flange 36 extending at the top, along all four edges thereof. Within the recesses formed by bending said flange 36 over inwardly, are received the edges of a rectangular top burner plate 37, having cone-shaped or tapering burner nozzles 38 projecting therefrom upwardly. It will be noted that the discharge opening or end of the Bunsen outlet tubel 28 lies opposite a solid portion of the plate 37, so that the mixture of gas and air issuing from the Bunsen tube will strike said plate and be deflected in all directions, instead of passing directly to some of the burner nozzles 38. In assembling the burner unit, lprefer to first bend only three of the sides of the flange 36 in wardly, leaving the flange at the fourth side unfinished, so that the plate 37 may be slipped into position readily, whereupon the flange 36 is bent inwardly at the fourth side also.

Each burner element or burner unit is associated with Va refractory heater body and with a support for such body. Said support comprises a bottom having parallel flanges 39 on two opposite sides, at the corners, forming a slideway for the flange 36 at the two short sides of such rectangular flange 36. Adjacent to these Hanges 39, the support has cross members or cross portions 40 (see particularly l*1 ig. 7) adapted to engage the longer side walls 35 of the burner unit when the latter is in place, so as to hold it in position. Before connecting the burner unit with said support. the two front members or portions 40 would be left clear of the path of the burner unit as the latter is slipped into position, and then these two members 40 (at the same longer side of the rectangle) would be bent into the final or holding'position. The flanges 39 project downwardly from the base'41 of the support, the latterI having a rectangular opening of substantially the same size and shape as the burner top plate 37, and the flanges 39 being located at the edges of such opening. At the outer edgesof the bottom or base 41 side walls 42 extend upwardly'on all four sides, and one of the longer side Walls 42 (the one at the front) lies close to the ledge 19, so l'that the latter J-limits or stops any rotary movement of the burner unit about the inclined axis of the Bunsen tube. At the top, the side walls 42 connect with an outwardly-extending flange 43, the flange 43,0f one unit overlapping slightly the flange of the adjacent unit, although this is not essential. A.

The refractory heater body comprises a flange or frame 44 adapted to fit on the base 41 and within the space bounded by the side walls 42, said body preferably projecting upwardly beyond the top flange 43. This refractory body has parallel cross bars 45 inclined upwardly and rearwardly when the parts are in position, with parallel openings vor slits 46 between such cross bars. the

longitudinal center of each cross bar 45, pins 47 of refractory material project upwardly from such bar, at right angles to the plane of the refractory body. These pins, which taper upwardly, are preferably spaced evenly,v as shown, each bar 45 having eight such pins, in the example illustrated. The cross bars 45 are located only at the lower portion of the yrefractory heater body, while at the upperl portion of said body there are arranged upper bars 48, parallel to the bars 45, and arranged opposite the openings or slits 46, the latter lying opposite, or in registry with, the burner nozzles 38, which are disposed in parallel rows corresponding in location to the said slits 46. The upper bars 48 are triangular in cross section, with their lower faces in the Same plane which is parallel, to the plane of the heater body. These lower faces of the upper bars 48 are spaced from, and above. the upper faces of the lower bars 45, so that the combustion products from the burner nozzles 38 will pass through theslits 46, strike the lower faces of the upper bars 48, and then spread laterally to reach the openings between the said upper bars, through which upper openings or slits the gases pass out. The upper faces of the upper bars 48 are inclined transversely, so that the outlet opening through which the combustion gases escape between two adjacent bars 48 (or .be-l tween the end bars 48 and the adjacent ends of the flange or frame 44) flare or increasev in width upwardly, thus insuring a ready flow of combustion products, and a thorough heating of the refractory body and particularly of the upper bars 48. The upper edges or ridges of said bars 48 may be f'lush with the upper surface ofthe frame 44, as shown. From the sides of each of the uppera bars 48 pointed projections extend laterally, preferably in positions half-way between adjacent .pins 47. In the example illustrated, there is a. slight difference in the arrange ment of these projections. That is, on both sides of the intermediate bars 48, and on the inner sides ofthe end bars 48, there are lateral projections 49 spaced twice the distance 'of the pins 47, and the arrangement is such that for each of the openings between adjacent bars 48, the projections 49 of the bar 48 at one side of such opening are staggered fwith respect to the projections 49 of the bar 48 at the other side of such opening. The two end bars 48, however, have, on their outer sides, pins or projections 50( of the saine character. as thefprojections 49, but' double in number, 4s on'ie of these projections 50 aligning transversely with the pins or projections 49 on the other side of the same bar 48, while the other lateral projections 50 are halfway between such projections 49.

The top burner plate 37 with its nozzles 38, is preferably made of a single piece of sheet-aluminum, this metal having been found very efficient in the relation specified, as it will stand a high temperature Without warping and without material expansion.

The refractory heater' body 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 50, is made of suitable heat-resisting material, preferably porous. I believe that the porosity of the material is of value by causing an action somewhat similar to that which. platinum sponge has on gases, and that by this action the temperature is increased to a oint where the formation of carbon dioxi e is insured, and the existencey of carbon monoxide practically excluded. I further prefer to apply a catalyst to the refractory body for the. purpose yof increasing the temperature and preventing the heater from giving off carbon monoxide. As examples of catalysts suitable for this purpose, I will mention oxides of copper or of cerium. The catalyst might be applied in'various manners. For instance, it might be Adistributed within the refractory material more or less uniformly, or in other words, the catalyst might be mixed with the. material of the'refractory heater body. lzor example, the catalyst might be mixed with the material from which said body or brick is made, before the baking or firing of such brick; or,'when the brick is made of porous material, I might .first fire it andthen impregnate it with a liquid containing the catalyst, or with a liquid (for instance a solution of cerium nitrate) from which the catalyst will be formed by heating. Instead of distributing the catalyst within the refractory body, as by either of the methods above mentioned, I might first bake or fire the bricks and then give them a surface coating of the catalyst in any suitable manner, for instance by spraying, dipping, painting (that is, applying with a. brush), etc. With my invention, there is no danger of carbon monoxide being formed at all, or at least not in any dangerous proportion, for the reason that the heater body will be kept at a temperature above that at which carbon monoxide can be formed, so that the carbon present will be burned to carbon dioxide. This is a very valuable feature of my heater and of the refractory heater bodies or bricksA described herein.

It will be noted that (see particularly Fig. 4) air has free access to the burner nozzles 38 and to the lower ends of the openings or slits 46, thus insuring la good supply of secondary air and perfect combustion of the fuel. The inclined upper surfacesl of the upper bars 48 not only, radiate the heat more efficiently than if such surfaces were vertical, but they also improve the appearance of the heater, inasmuch as these transversely inclined surfaces, which become incandescent, are plainly visible from the front of the heater, whereas vertical side surfaces on such bars 48 would be but poorly ivisible. The polished side walls 16 serve to reiiect some of the heat radiated by the refractory bodies, but most lof the reflected heat comes from the rear wall, and particularly from the inclined upper portion 13 of such wall. It will be noted that this portion 13 and the refractory heater bodies are inclined lat about the same angle to the horizontal, but in opposite directions; most of the heat will therefore be reflected from said rear wall yportion 13 in a horizontal forward direction.

While in Fig. 1 the gas-supplying pi e 21 extends to the right, and the rod 29 to t e left, it will be obvious that the construction shown can be readily reversed so that the pipe 21 with its cock 22 will be at the left, and the rod 29 at the right. The heater can thus be used equally well with a gas conneet-ion coming from the left as with one from the right.

The flaring formation of the arms 27 constitutes a stop to limit the downward movement of the sleeve 30 so that the burner unit with the superimposed heating body and its holder is efliciently supported on the Bunsen tube, yet readily removable therefrom.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A heater comprising a burner having v nozzles arranged in rows, and a refractory body provided, on the side adjacent the burner, with openings or slits in registry with the respective rows of burner nozzles, and. with cross bars between said slits, while on the side distant from the burner the said body is provided wit-li cross bars spaced from each other and from the first-named cross bars and registering with said slits, the lastnamed cross bars being wedge-shaped with the thin edges of the wedges facing away from the first-named cross bars.

2. A heater comprising a burner having nozzles, and .a refractory body rovided, on the side adjacent the burner,I with openings in registry with the burner nozzles and with bars between said openings, said bars being provided with projections on the side distant from the burner, and said body being fui-ther provided, on the side distant from the' burner, with openings in registry with said bars and with bars in registry with the first-named openings but spaced therefrom to form lateral passages. v '1 3. A heater comprisinga lburner having nozzles, and a refractory body provided, on the side adjacent the burner, with openings in registry with the burner nozzles and with bars between said openings, said body being further provided, on the side distant from the burner, with openings in registry with said bars and with bars in registry with the first-named openings, said last-named bars being spaced from said first-named openings to form lateral passages, and having lateral projections.

.4. A heater comprising a burner having nozzles, and a refractory body provided, on the side adjacent the burner, with openings in registry with the burner nozzles and with bars between said openings, said bars having pins extending therefrom on the side distant from the burner, said body being further provided, on the side distant from the burner, with openings in registry with said bars and with bars of Wedge-shape in registry with said first-named openmgs, said wedgeshaped bars being spaced from the firstnamed openings and provided with lateral projections in staggered relation to said pins.

5. A heater comprising a frame, heating means therein, a gas supply pipe leading to said heating means from one side of the heater, and a supporting rod aligning with said pipe and arranged on the other side of the heater, said pipe and rod being mutually interchangeable in position.

6. A refractory body or brick for heaters, provided on its lower side with a plurality of parallel slits and parallel bars between said slits, and having on its upper side parallel bars registering with said slits but spaced therefrom to form lateral passages, and outlet openinvs between the last-named bars, in re istry with the first-named bars.

7. A re ractory body or brick for heaters, provided on its lower side with a plurality of parallel slits and parallel bars between said slits, and having on its upper side parallel bars spaced from each other and from the first-named bars and registering with said slits, the last-named bars being wedgeshaped, with the thin edges of the wedges facing away from the first-named bars.

8. A refractory body or brick for heaters, provided on its lower side with a plurality of openings and with bars between said openings, said bars being provided with projections extending toward the upper side, and said body being further provided, on its upper side, with openings in registry with said bars and with bars in registry with the first-named openings but spaced therefrom. to form lateral passages.

9. A refractory body or brick for heaters, provided on its lower side with openings and with bars between said openings, and on its upper side, with openings in registry with l said bars, and with bars in registry with the first-named openings, saidvlast-named bars being spaced from the first-named openings to form lateral passages, and having lateral projections.

10. A refractory body or brick for heaters, provided 4on its lower side with openings and with bars between said openings, said bars having pins extending therefrom toward the upper side of the body, said body being further provided, on its upper side, with openings in registry with said bars and with wedge-shaped bars in registry with the firstnamed openings, said wedge-shaped bars being spaced from the first-named openings to form lateral passages, and provided with lateral projections in staggered relation to 1 In testimony whereof I have signed this specification. Y

OSCAR VIEDERHOLD. 

